Mr Pilkington’s late father, also called Bill, bought the home in Cunliffe Brow in 1969 and the family stayed there until 1998 when it was sold to the then manager of Bolton’s Moat House Hotel, Stephen Turner.

Mr Pilkington said: “My dad ran an off-licence in Morris Green in the 1960s and worked tirelessly on the property so we could move in. It was a fantastic place to grow up.

“The cottage nestled in the trees and me and my friends would play for hours round there in the summer.”

But Mr Pilkington, whose engineering job eventually took him to Bournemouth where he now lives, said he was heartbroken when he returned to see friends and family and saw the condition Ivy Cottage is now in.

He added: “It’s difficult to believe what’s happened, and how it’s been allowed to get into the state it’s in.

“There is nothing we can do, but we would love someone to buy it and restore it — after all, it has been there for 500 years.

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She said: “We really need someone to come forward and buy the cottage.

“But of course that depends on whether the current owner is willing to sell it. I can’t see any point in letting it stand there until it falls down. That would be a tragedy.”

Thieves and vandals have stripped the cottage of anything of value, despite the efforts of Mr Turner — who now works elsewhere in the UK in the hospitality industry — to secure the property.

As reported in The Bolton News on February 1, Mr Turner said he would like to return to Bolton and renovate the house, but would also consider selling it.

Neighbours in Brentford Avenue, which leads on to Cunliffe Brow, have also been concerned about the condition of the cottage and Bolton Council’s specialist empty buildings officers have been in regular contact with Mr Turner over its security.

I agree. If Cromwell even set foot in there and this can be proved, then surely it's up to the National trust or the Council to preserve the building.

Is there any proof that even soldiers were in there?

The Council seems to do very little about it's Civil War heritage and I suspect other than the Earl of Derby getting his head chopped of and sitting in the Man and Scythe, most people don't know much about the Civil War and in particular Bolton's part in it.

[quote][p][bold]LordLeverhulme[/bold] wrote:
my god.
"Oliver Cromwell's civil war base" reads as if Cromwell stayed there. He didn't.
.
This paper gets worse...[/p][/quote]I agree. If Cromwell even set foot in there and this can be proved, then surely it's up to the National trust or the Council to preserve the building.
Is there any proof that even soldiers were in there?
The Council seems to do very little about it's Civil War heritage and I suspect other than the Earl of Derby getting his head chopped of and sitting in the Man and Scythe, most people don't know much about the Civil War and in particular Bolton's part in it.Ernagy2

I agree. If Cromwell even set foot in there and this can be proved, then surely it's up to the National trust or the Council to preserve the building.

Is there any proof that even soldiers were in there?

The Council seems to do very little about it's Civil War heritage and I suspect other than the Earl of Derby getting his head chopped of and sitting in the Man and Scythe, most people don't know much about the Civil War and in particular Bolton's part in it.

Bolton does NOTHING to promote anything that does not bring in money to the coffers - and this is not because of the economic climate, they have never done.

Take a walk down Firwood Fold, Bolton's first Conservation Area and more importantly the birthplace of Samuel Crompton, arguably our most famous son. The council do not even sweep the streets down there; sadly this is a fact, despite SOME of the residents paying one of highest council tax bands in the Borough.

The council will pay for street sweepers for some of the worst (kept) thoroughfares into Bolton, but not on one that brings people from around the world to visit Firwood. What image does that portray? The same council that allowed the once magnificent Firwood Hall to be demolished for housing in the 70's. Similarly the recent farce at Smithills.

The long and short of it is the council do not give a monkeys....

[quote][p][bold]Ernagy2[/bold] wrote:
[quote][p][bold]LordLeverhulme[/bold] wrote:
my god.
"Oliver Cromwell's civil war base" reads as if Cromwell stayed there. He didn't.
.
This paper gets worse...[/p][/quote]I agree. If Cromwell even set foot in there and this can be proved, then surely it's up to the National trust or the Council to preserve the building.
Is there any proof that even soldiers were in there?
The Council seems to do very little about it's Civil War heritage and I suspect other than the Earl of Derby getting his head chopped of and sitting in the Man and Scythe, most people don't know much about the Civil War and in particular Bolton's part in it.[/p][/quote]Bolton does NOTHING to promote anything that does not bring in money to the coffers - and this is not because of the economic climate, they have never done.
Take a walk down Firwood Fold, Bolton's first Conservation Area and more importantly the birthplace of Samuel Crompton, arguably our most famous son. The council do not even sweep the streets down there; sadly this is a fact, despite SOME of the residents paying one of highest council tax bands in the Borough.
The council will pay for street sweepers for some of the worst (kept) thoroughfares into Bolton, but not on one that brings people from around the world to visit Firwood. What image does that portray? The same council that allowed the once magnificent Firwood Hall to be demolished for housing in the 70's. Similarly the recent farce at Smithills.
The long and short of it is the council do not give a monkeys....The Squire In Residence

Can you not read? The Pilkington family sold the house in 1998. The state that the house is in now has nothing to do with them.

[quote][p][bold]LordLeverhulme[/bold] wrote:
my god.
"Oliver Cromwell's civil war base" reads as if Cromwell stayed there. He didn't.
.
This paper gets worse...[/p][/quote]Can you not read? The Pilkington family sold the house in 1998. The state that the house is in now has nothing to do with them.hal pel

thomas222 wrote:
How it got into the state its in is because they left it to rot long ago. Only ones to blame is themselves.

Can you not read? The Pilkington family sold the house in 1998. The state that the house is in now has nothing to do with them.

[quote][p][bold]thomas222[/bold] wrote:
How it got into the state its in is because they left it to rot long ago. Only ones to blame is themselves.[/p][/quote]Can you not read? The Pilkington family sold the house in 1998. The state that the house is in now has nothing to do with them.hal pel

Can you not read? The Pilkington family sold the house in 1998. The state that the house is in now has nothing to do with them.

Sorry M'lord, I quoted the wrong comment. Oops.

[quote][p][bold]hal pel[/bold] wrote:
[quote][p][bold]LordLeverhulme[/bold] wrote:
my god.
"Oliver Cromwell's civil war base" reads as if Cromwell stayed there. He didn't.
.
This paper gets worse...[/p][/quote]Can you not read? The Pilkington family sold the house in 1998. The state that the house is in now has nothing to do with them.[/p][/quote]Sorry M'lord, I quoted the wrong comment. Oops.hal pel

I am surprised Bolton Council hasn't offered to buy it and allocate the land for 'affordable housing' after all the 'core strategy' seems to be destroy everything about the areas local history to meet government targets on housing.

I am surprised Bolton Council hasn't offered to buy it and allocate the land for 'affordable housing' after all the 'core strategy' seems to be destroy everything about the areas local history to meet government targets on housing.MOANYMUM

Jeez, how much money do you need to have to leave a property of such magnitude to decay like this??? That place could house a lot of unfortunate people. Not sure Stephen Turner has his head screwed on,

Jeez, how much money do you need to have to leave a property of such magnitude to decay like this??? That place could house a lot of unfortunate people. Not sure Stephen Turner has his head screwed on,BoltonLancs